In stage lighting, an ellipsoidal reflector floodlight (sometimes known by the

acronym An acronym is a word or name formed from the initial components of a longer name or phrase. Acronyms are usually formed from the initial letters of words, as in ''NATO'' (''North Atlantic Treaty Organization''), but sometimes use syllables, as ...

ERF which is often pronounced "erf"), better known as a scoop, is a large, simple lighting fixture with a dome-like reflector, large high-wattage

lamp Lamp, Lamps or LAMP may refer to: Lighting * Oil lamp, using an oil-based fuel source * Kerosene lamp, using kerosene as a fuel * Electric lamp, or light bulb, a replaceable component that produces light from electricity * Light fixture, or li ...

and no

lens A lens is a transmissive optical device which focuses or disperses a light beam by means of refraction. A simple lens consists of a single piece of transparent material, while a compound lens consists of several simple lenses (''elements ...

. It consists almost entirely of a lamp in the center of a big curved metal (or plastic lined with reflective foil) dome that acts as a reflector. The result is a wide, soft-edged pool of light good for general lighting. However, since scoop lights do not have a mechanism for cutting down the size of their beam, they are rarely used for more specific lighting needs. Many theaters use scoop lights for worklights, rehearsals, non-performance times, and certain performance times. Scoops can be used to mimic the effect of a

striplight A striplight is a multi-circuit stage lighting instrument. Striplights are one of the most basic types of lighting fixtures available. They usually consist of row of lamps. A single striplight is usually wired internally into either 3 or 4 circu ...

to illuminate a

cyclorama A cyclorama is a panoramic image on the inside of a cylindrical platform, designed to give viewers standing in the middle of the cylinder a 360° view, and also a building designed to show a panoramic image. The intended effect is to make view ...

. They are easy to set up and take down, are relatively inexpensive, typically have long lamp life. When used as worklights, scoop lights frequently don't require the use of the light board to operate. Scoop lights are also used for flooding a stage with downlight, as this requires the least amount of control of the beam. However,

fresnel lantern A Fresnel lantern (pronounced ''frəˈnɛl or fruh-nel'') is a common lantern used in theatre that employs a Fresnel lens to wash light over an area of the stage. The lens produces a wider, soft-edged beam of light, which is commonly used for back ...

s are more frequently used for this task. Most scoops use a PS52 mogul screw (E39) incandescent lamp.

See also